Francis Poulenc emphasized that his settings of Apollinaire's poems, particularly "Le Bestiaire," should be sung with a serious style, not with irony or an emphasis on amusing words.
Composer Biography
Claude Debussy's "Children's Corner" suite reveals his affection for his daughter Chouchou, his interest in childhood, his anglophilia, and his sense of humor.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Maurice Ravel was drawn to the direct language and hidden poetry of Jules Renard's texts, which influenced his particular manner of word-setting in "Histoires naturelles."
Critical Reception
The premiere of Ravel's "Histoires naturelles" in 1907 caused a scandal and provoked heated exchanges in the press, despite Debussy finding "Le Cygne" to be "very lovely music."
Composition History
Gabriel Fauré's "Le Papillon et la Fleur" was his Opus 1, composed when he was sixteen years old in the refectory of the École Niedermeyer, and first performed by Saint-Saëns.
Compositional Technique
In Déodat de Séverac's "Les Hiboux," the piano accompaniment imitates an owl's hooting using grace notes and specific intervals to create a nocturnal atmosphere.
Compositional Technique
Erik Satie's "Le Chapelier" is a double parody, with its text inspired by Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and its music spoofing a love duet from Gounod's opera "Mireille."
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